Thanks for this and for engaging/wrestling with the linguistic limitations of mothering/motherhood, etc. As someone who's never wanted to mother, I've been thinking a lot about the "auntie" version of this... how badly (in particular in the US right now) we need aunties and uncles: compassionate, perhaps older adults, who care for many regardless of blood relation, but with the fierceness of parental care.
Democratic Massachusetts politician Ayanna Pressley sent out a really beautifully written email yesterday which, in a section about stamina and roles in fighting this administration, included the line, "Some people are going to lead the revolution. Some people are going to pack a lunch for the people leading the revolution." I was so moved by it, having read post after post after post of people I politically agree with, chiding everyone for not doing enough. But if our idea of "work" (of, therefore, "enough") is only that archetype of "the worker" as you put it, then we completely discredit the care work needed to sustain a fight for democracy and compassionate society.
This is such a long comment from someone you don't know - but clearly you got me thinking! Saw your post on MECCSA! Thanks for a great read!
Thanks so much for engaging, Lynne! I 100% agree about aunties - and not the kind of aunties that are really just mates who you see occasionally and make your kid call 'auntie' but the kind that are genuinely involved in caring and bringing up the children.
And absolutely - maybe we should start seeing the lunch packers as the leaders of the revolution?
I joked with a friend yesterday the only skill sets I can offer the zombie apocalypse are thinking big thoughts and talking about feelings... but maybe that's exactly what we need in an apocalypse (and maybe we're already in it).
Ha I also think about what I could offer in the apocalypse, given that I have zero practical skills. I hope that thinking, feeling, analysing and relating are worth something otherwise I'm the first to get eaten!
Thanks for this and for engaging/wrestling with the linguistic limitations of mothering/motherhood, etc. As someone who's never wanted to mother, I've been thinking a lot about the "auntie" version of this... how badly (in particular in the US right now) we need aunties and uncles: compassionate, perhaps older adults, who care for many regardless of blood relation, but with the fierceness of parental care.
Democratic Massachusetts politician Ayanna Pressley sent out a really beautifully written email yesterday which, in a section about stamina and roles in fighting this administration, included the line, "Some people are going to lead the revolution. Some people are going to pack a lunch for the people leading the revolution." I was so moved by it, having read post after post after post of people I politically agree with, chiding everyone for not doing enough. But if our idea of "work" (of, therefore, "enough") is only that archetype of "the worker" as you put it, then we completely discredit the care work needed to sustain a fight for democracy and compassionate society.
This is such a long comment from someone you don't know - but clearly you got me thinking! Saw your post on MECCSA! Thanks for a great read!
Thanks so much for engaging, Lynne! I 100% agree about aunties - and not the kind of aunties that are really just mates who you see occasionally and make your kid call 'auntie' but the kind that are genuinely involved in caring and bringing up the children.
And absolutely - maybe we should start seeing the lunch packers as the leaders of the revolution?
I joked with a friend yesterday the only skill sets I can offer the zombie apocalypse are thinking big thoughts and talking about feelings... but maybe that's exactly what we need in an apocalypse (and maybe we're already in it).
Ha I also think about what I could offer in the apocalypse, given that I have zero practical skills. I hope that thinking, feeling, analysing and relating are worth something otherwise I'm the first to get eaten!
haha we'll go to our thinking/feeling/analysing deaths together
😁
Should we then go ahead and combine mother's day and labor day?
Ha I like it, as long as it doesn't mean fewer holidays!